ReiseReise Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 On 6/25/2024 at 9:07 PM, Das_Wunderkind said: Sport1.de is reporting that Günter Zapf has died. Many Germans my age (mid 40s) will surely remember him as one of the voices of WWF in Germany for decades, along with his long time commentary partner Carsten Schaefer. In addition, he was one of the most well known commentators of the NFL and American Football in general in Germany, as well as most recently, AEW. Zapf was the likeable of the two guys, I will always love him calling every dive to the outside a "flip", and he was making Schaefer angry sometimes while not even giving a damn. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert S Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 7 hours ago, ReiseReise said: Zapf was the likeable of the two guys, I will always love him calling every dive to the outside a "flip", and he was making Schaefer angry sometimes while not even giving a damn. Schaefer has to be one of worst commentators of all time, especially considering how long he did that job. I stopped watching German WWF productions maybe in 2000, but the couple of things I have heard of him afterwards, he actually got worse. Besides seeming even less competent in calling the action, he tried to get himself over at the cost of the wrestlers themselves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReiseReise Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 I can totally see that, actually. Always came across as a bit of a prick. I thought at first that he tried to emulate the WWF / WWE hype man role in German, but once the US commentary became available, I learned that there was a difference. Never went back, even with how bad it got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Sorrow Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 My pals at BOOM Pro Wrestling held a memorial show for Big Cat Scott Henson last Friday and put the whole show up on YouTube. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 12 Share Posted July 12 Quote Alberto Amessa, a journeyman pro wrestler who worked all over the world and may have been the oldest still living pro wrestler, passed away on 7/7 in Charlotte, NC, where he had been living for years. Amessa was 97 years old, born on March 6, 1927, in Argentina. The only wrestler I would know who could have been older was Mexican wrestler Dick Medrano, who was still alive two years ago and would be 102 now, and will be 103 in a few months. I believe he’s still alive as do others who followed his career. Can you imagine someone who started his pro career in 1941 (Medrano) is still alive today. For those who have worked in the U.S., the oldest as far as I know would now be Cowboy Bob Ellis at 95, and oldest name in the business would be Texas announcer Bill Mercer at 98. Amessa is the answer to a pro wrestling trivia question as the first person to ever win a match in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Under the name El Furioso, he was in the opening match on the first-ever New Japan show, the famous March 6, 1972, show at the Ota Ward Gym, where Karl Gotch pinned Antonio Inoki in the main event of a six-match show. The opener saw Furioso pin future Hall of Famer Tatsumi Fujinami, then 18, in just 4:20. Amessa started wrestling in the late 40s in Argentina and then in the 50s mostly wrestled in Mexico, Spain and other parts of Europe. He was probably best known in the 70s as prelim wrestler Tony Romano, who worked for the Crocketts. He first wrestled as Gran Amenaza in Mexico and Europe. He first came to the U.S. in 1962 as El Medico II. The original El Medico, also known in Mexico as Medico Asesino, was a gigantic star in Mexico and Texas, an Observer Hall of Famer voted in the first time he was on the ballot, but passed away at 39 from cancer in 1960. Promoter Morris Sigel tried to revive the legend by bringing in El Medico II in 1962 and giving him a big push. He won the Texas state title from Sailor Art Thomas on October 26, 1962, in Houston, just 11 days after he started with the promotion. Like how Sigel got El Medico over, the idea was to give him a winning streak, against stars of that period like Jerry Kozak, Duke Keomuka, Ciclon Negro, Danny McShain, Ivan the Terrible (Pampero Firpo), Wild Bull Curry, Tony Borne and others. This built to a November 9, 1962 match with Lou Thesz, which he won via DQ. His first loss was January 11, 1963, in Houston, when Rip Hawk beat him for the Texas title. The week after Thesz beat Buddy Rogers to win the NWA title, Medico II lost to Thesz in Corpus Christi in a title match. He remained in Texas until March, but the experiment has long since been noted as a failure as he didn’t catch on even with the big push. He wrestled all over the U.S. and Canada through 1975, mostly as prelim wrestler Tony Romano, but also used names like Indio Joe, El Medico Argentina Amessa, and El Furioso. The latter name he only used on one tour, the opening tour of New Japan. He met his wife, Consulela Amessa, while wrestling in Panama and they were married in 1956 and they remained married until his death. He was an avid book reader, starting his days going to Barnes & Nobles, before going to work for Harris Teeter Corporation in Charlotte from the offices to being a bagger at the supermarket 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted July 24 Share Posted July 24 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colonial Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 Bill Apter announced on his YT page last night that longtime WWWF/WWF enhancement talent Pete Sanchez passed away sometime Saturday. Sanchez was Ric Flair's opponent for Flair's first MSG match in 1976. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbarrie Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 On 7/24/2024 at 7:52 PM, RIPPA said: Surprised there hasn't been much reaction to this, but then it's entirely possible I'm the only Maritimer on the board. Sad news. I may rewatch his world title shot against Rick Martel this afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted July 28 Author Share Posted July 28 A bunch of Grand Prix got posted to YouTube this weekend. I didn’t look yet to see if he is in any of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curt McGirt Posted July 28 Share Posted July 28 Leo participated in the Stampede book, didn't he? I think he was the crusty old guy who told stories where it came off like granddad telling Billy what the war was like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted July 29 Author Share Posted July 29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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Pete Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 16 hours ago, odessasteps said: I'm amazed that he was in HONESDALE of all places. My friends have a house right up the road in Lebanon Township. It's a shame his passing isn't getting too much traction, because Beau was way ahead of the curve in a lot of ways... especially the rock-n-wrestling connection. Even cut an album or two (with a very young Greg Sage of Wipers fame on guitar). RIP. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dokdoyle Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 On 7/28/2024 at 2:02 PM, tbarrie said: Surprised there hasn't been much reaction to this, but then it's entirely possible I'm the only Maritimer on the board. Sad news. I may rewatch his world title shot against Rick Martel this afternoon. Miramichi, NB representing!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiztor Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 5 hours ago, Pete said: It's a shame his passing isn't getting too much traction, because Beau was way ahead of the curve in a lot of ways... especially the rock-n-wrestling connection. Even cut an album or two (with a very young Greg Sage of Wipers fame on guitar). RIP. i've never heard of this guy but just listened to this whole album on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kip8f16U590). it's surprisingly good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 13 minutes ago, twiztor said: i've never heard of this guy but just listened to this whole album on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kip8f16U590). it's surprisingly good! Yep. Even charted locally in Portland if I'm not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted August 14 Author Share Posted August 14 RIP former magazine writer and front office guy Dennis Brent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great ML Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Samu posted that Wild Samoan Afa passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted August 16 Author Share Posted August 16 (edited) Can’t help but feel like them passing away so soon after each other is like when an old married couple pass away not long after their first one dies. Did either ever do much as singles, since it would feel strange to just post all of the same clips again from when Sika passed away? Edited August 16 by odessasteps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobra Commander Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 I think both Afa and Sika got title matches with Bob Backlund at different times 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Pat Patterson right now pleading with St. peter to smarten them up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
driver Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 Sika vs. Abby from Amarillo '77. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJkFQy5Dexk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zendragon Posted August 16 Share Posted August 16 First of all those are a hell of a couple shoot names, secondly just think how different wrestling would have been over the last 50 years if Afa and Sika never get in the business 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamhock Posted August 18 Share Posted August 18 Might as well link to The Samoans’ three WWF tag title wins in here: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodyChamp Posted August 20 Share Posted August 20 Dang RIP brothers. The kings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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